Electric switch



May 30, 1933. M. SCHLENKER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 24, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

T ,Y I, E n e M m C A 5 KI Q M B fl May 30, 1933. M. SCHLENKER ELECTRICSWITCH Filed March 24, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MQX 561 LenKer. I

ATTORNEY May 30, 1933.

M. SCHLENKER 1,912,163

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 24, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 3,l1;

or rear,

FILE "'51 ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN GLOC'IK CO, IIIOIS' ACQRPORATION OF ILLINOIS Y Application-filed March 24, 1928. Serial No.264,543.

My invention relates to electric clocks and electric clock drivingmechanisms and has for its object the production of an electric clockhaving an electric driving mechanism in which the electrical circuitclosing contact is made extremely rapidly with the socalled snappingaction and when the circuit closing contact is once made the contact ismaintained by one of the contact parts wiping over the co-operatingcontact part, while the clock driving power is being loaded and whensaid loading is completed the contact immediately opens the circuit inan extremely rapid manner with the above mentioned snapping action.

A further object of my invention is the production of an electric clockin which.

the spring winding mechanism as it approaches the point where thecontacting mechanisms are being brought into operative position will notretard or dampen the force of the power and thereby cause the timeindicating mechanism to slow up and thus effect the timing qualities ofthe clocks.

A further object of my invention is to produce a device of thischaracter that will be permanent in endurance, capable of standing thesevere requirements for the use of same for automobiles and be accurateand extremely reliable in operation and yet simple and inexpensive toproduce.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear view of an electric clock embodying my inventionshowing the position of the armature and the electrical contactingmechanisms at the point where the contacts have come into electricallyoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of an electric clock embodying my inventionshowing the position of the armature and the electrical contactingmechanisms at the point where the electrical contacting mechanisms havejust come out of electrical operative POSi'x tion.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the electrical contacting mechanismshowing the position of the operative-parts ina similar relation as isindicated in Figure 2.

-Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the arrangement of theprincipal parts of said Figure 4.

Similar parts are "indicated by the same numerals throughout the severalviews.

In the drawings 1 is the rear plate of an electric clock movement and 2is the front thereof saidplates being fastened together by means of thepillars and nuts 7 shown. 3 is an electromagnet fastened to plate 2 saidmagnet having the pole pieces 4 and 5 and the wire winding 6, one end ofsaid wire winding being connected to connecting post 8 electricallyinsulatedly mounted on an intermediate plate 9 which is fastened toplate 2 by means of the pillars and screws 10 as shown. Connecting post8 is connected to one side of the electrical source of power indicatedat 12 by means of the wire 11. The other side of source of power isgrounded on the plate 2 at 13 by means of the wire 14. Mounted on shaft15 which is journaled in plate 1 and bushing mounted on plate 2 asshown, and having its projections 16 and 17 adjacent respectively topole pieces 4 and 5 is the armature 18 which is actuated when the magnet3 is energized as will be described below. Fastened on shaft 15 is apart 21 which has fastened on it a rivet 22 on which is pivotallymounted a pawl 23 which engages the teeth 24 of a ratchet wheel 25adjacent to said part 21 which ratchet wheel 25 is fastened on a sleeve19 which is journaled on said shaft 15 and has a gear wheel 26 fastenedto it which drives the time gear train 27 and 28 and others shown toproperly and correctly operate, the hands 29 and 30 of the clock. Thepawl 23 is held into engagement with the teeth 24 by means of the spring31 which presses on projection 32 and pawl 23, the other end of spring31 after it passes around a stud 33 fastened in member 21 is fastened inan aperture 34 as shown (see Fig. 4). Pivotally mounted on a rivet stud35 which is fastened in part 21 is a suitably formed contacting lever(preferably bell crank in shape) 36 which has a toe part 37 on its "ofwhich is connected to said lever and the I aperture shown and the otherend to a post 39 fastened on the plate 2. The left hand part of saidlever 36 has a similar projecting part 40 which engages a holding lever41 which is pivotally mounted on plate 2 at 42 as shown. Lever 41 has atoe part 43 which projects into an aperture 44 in plate 2 which limitsits motion of rotation in the clockwise direction and it is held inposition against the upper side of said aperture 44 by means of thespring 45 fastened on plate 2 and touchlng said part 43 as shown. It isevident that the entire possible motion of the holding lever 41 islimited by the size of the aperture 44. Lever 36 has a contacting pin 47projecting from its side which pin travels into the path of aco-operative contacting part 48 which is mounted by means of the screwsshown but" electricall insulated therefrom, on the lever 49 WhlCh isfastened on a shaft 50 journaled in plates 1 and 2, and is held in itsoutward and operative position by means of a :Fring 51 one end of whichis fastened on pl te 2 and the other end of which engages a projectingpart 52 from said lever 49, and holds said part 52 in engagement with aprojecting part of plate 1 as shown. The co-operating contact part 48 iselectrically connected with the other end of the wire winding 6 ofelectromagnet 3 by means of the wire 53 and it is evident that when anymetallic conducting part of the clock movement all of which is groundedas above mentioned, touches this 'co-operating contact part 48 themagnet 3 will be instantly energized and rotate the armature 18 in thecounter-clockwise direction. It is this rotation of the armature that isutilized to operate the time indicating train and for this purpose IemFloy a coiled spring 54 one end of which is astened to a post 55mounted on the plate 2 and the other end is fastened to the armature 18by means of a post 56 (see Fig. 3).

My device operates in the following manner:

Assume that the magnet 3 has just been energized by virtue of thecontacting lever 36 and the co-operative contacting part 48 having beenin position shown in Figure 1 and rotated the armature 18 as abovementioned in a counter-clockwise direction and thus stored up the forcein the power spring 54 which now pulls on the armature 18 turning it andits shaft 15 and the art 21 fastened on said shaft 15 in the c ockwisedirection which power is communicated to ratchet wheel 25 and thence tothe time indicatng mechanism and as the power is utilized the part 21continues to rotatein the clockwise direction. As said part 21 rotatesin the clockwise direction it is evident that the projecting part 40moves upwardly over the left hand end of lever 41 and as it does the toepart 37 and the other end of lever 36 raises away from the part 21 (seeFig. 4) so that as part 40 passes over the point of lever 41 the spring38 instantly snaps the lever 36 in a clockwise direction of rotationbringing its contacting pin 47 into electrically operative engagementwith the co-operating contact part 48 energizing the electro-magnet 3immediately moving the armature 18 in the counter-clockwise directionback adjacent to the pole pieces of said magnet 3 and again loading thespring 54 as above mentioned. As the armature 18 moves in thiscounter-clockwise direction the projection or toe part 37 rests againstthe upper part of part 21 and actsas a part thereof and as it continuessaid motion the projecting part 40 on lever 36 depresses the end ofpivoted lever 41 against the action of the spring 45 until said end isdepressed sufiiciently so that when in addition to the movement of theprojecting part 40 on lever 36 the part 40 clears the said end of lever41 to bring it in the position shown in Figure 4 thus locking thecontacting pin 47 out of engagement with its co-operative contactingpart 48 when the action above mentioned will be ready to be repeated andwhich will be repeated as long as the device is connected to a source ofelectric power. It will be further seen from the above description fromthe manner in which the lever 36 is connected by means of the spring 38one end of which spring is connected to the said lever 36 and the otherend to the plate 2 that said spring 38 instead of opposing the action ofthe power spring 54 as was common in these mechanisms before myinvention, assists the action of the power spring 54 because it tends torotate the armature 18 in the same direction of rotation that said powerspring 54 does and accordingly prevents the usual dampening effect orslowing up of the balance wheel of the time indicating mechanism. 7

From the above description it is evident that the making and breaking ofthe electrical contacts in my electric clock operate extremely fast andthat after the contact is made there is a considerable amount ofmovement of the contacting pin on the cooperative contacting part, whichwill keep the parts clean and bright insuring same to be in thoroughelectric operative condition and further that said mechanism is simple,(durable in action and inexpensive to prouce.

It will be understood of course, that while I have here shown one formof my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form shown,but desire to have it taken in a sense illustrative of any and all theforms that come fairly within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a shaft a non-contacting plate mounted on said shaft,a contacting lever pivotally mounted on sand plate, a

plurality of'pro ections and a contacting part on said lever one ofwhich projections limits the motion of said lever in relation to saidplate in one direction, resilient means associated with said plate andlever, a resiliently andpivotally mounted holding strut part thatco-acts withthe other pro jection on said level so that said lever ismoved around its PIVOt in relation to said plate thereby causing itslimiting projection to move away from said plate and the other of itsprojections to-be released from said strut, with a resilientco-operating contacting abutment that engages said contacting part onsaid lever when thus released to circuit closing position producing awiping action between said contacting part and said abutment.

2. In combination, ashaft, anon-contacting plate mounted on said shaft,a contacting lever pivotally mounted on said plate, positioning means onsaid lever, resilient means associated with. said platean'd lever, aresiliently and pivotally mounted'holding strut part that co-acts withthe said lever so that said lever is movedaround its pivot relative tosaid plate and thereby operatively released from said strut, with aresilient co-operating contacting abutment that engages said lever whenthus released to vcircuit closing position and producing a wipingcontacting action between said lever and said abutment.

3. In combination, a shaft, a non-contacting plate mounted on saidshaft, a' contacting lever pivotally mounted on said plate, positioningmeans on said lever,.'res ilient means associated with said plate andlever, a resiliently and pivotally mounted holding strut part thatco-acts with the said lever so that said lever is moved around its pivotrelative to said plate and thereby operatively'released from said strut,with a resilient co-operating contacting abutment that engages saidlever when thus released to circuit closing position.

MAX sonnnmn.

